As a result of the well-known greenhouse effect, automobiles which are subjected to periods of exposure to sunshine experience significant heating of the automobile's interior. This effect is especially troublesome in relatively warm climates where the heating of the interior results in heating of the steering wheel, dashboard, and other controls to levels which are too hot to be operated safely. Automobile owners typically must operate the air conditioning until the interior of the automobile returns to comfortable and safe levels before operating the automobile. This process is both time consuming and wasteful. In addition, the heating of the automobile interior leads to the damage of heat sensitive material such as food, photographic film and electronic equipment.
Attempts to solve this problem by using sunshades mounted inside the automobile result is only limited success. These interior mounted sunshades result in heating of the windshield and also must be folded and stored in the automobile trunk after use.
Attempts to provide sunshades which are mounted on the outside of the automobile have resulted in the devices shown in the following U.S. Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,376 to Leidal shows a shade cover for an automobile which includes a plurality of rigid panels which are unfolded to form a cover. The cover projects beyond the dimensions of the roof of the automobile. When not in use, the sunshade is folded into a package which approximates the dimensions of the automobile roof,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,225 to Deng, et al. shows a device for covering windshields which includes a canopy which is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The canopy includes a rigid main canopy member and a pair of rigid pivoting side canopy members which can pivot inwardly and outwardly and include rollers which ride in tracks formed in housings which are mounted on an automobile; and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,742 to Deng, et al. shows a screen member and an activator which drives the screen member from a retracted position which is aligned with a housing on the roof of an automobile to an extended position which is aligned with the windshield. The canopy is a rigid member which is intended to prevent snow and ice from building up on the windshield.
Despite the developments of the prior art there remains a need for an automobile sunshade which can provide effective protection of an automobile against solar heating without resorting to complex and costly devices.